Everything's Perfect
by mum-to-you
Summary: Just a drabble, not a real story. This one is Molly's.


Molly Weasley sat up in bed, chewing on the ragged end of her quill, considering the figures she had jotted on the parchment in front of her. She circled the number at the bottom and nodded. Ginny and Ron both needed new robes for school, and looked as if that would be easy enough to manage this year. Her husband Arthur rolled over in his sleep, and she felt his arm encircle her waist. She patted his arm affectionately and looked down at his face.

"You're a good man, Arthur Weasley," she whispered.

Molly looked again at the budget in front of her with a satisfied smile. Having five children enrolled at Hogwarts at the same time had about stretched their finances as thin as they had ever been. Now with all but two out of school and pretty much self-sufficient, things weren't so hard. She couldn't blame Arthur for the difficult times that seemed to be behind them. Their brood had certainly been as much her decision as his, and, she thought with a laugh that she'd have a hard time indeed choosing the one she would trade in for more money!

Oh, when they had been younger, Molly had envisioned that a wizard of Arthur's considerable capabilities would advance quickly at the Ministry. They had both been incredibly naïve about the politics at the Ministry of Magic! Many a fine wizard never got anywhere because he didn't cozy up to the right people or agree with the proper sentiments.

For instance, not everyone in the wizarding world appreciated Muggles, and that was Arthur's specialty. So although Arthur was the head of the office, his prospects for advancement in that area were practically nonexistent, and it was by no means a prestige job in magical law enforcement. Molly was ashamed to admit that this had caused some tense moments in their relationship over the years, but if she was completely honest, she couldn't really see him happy doing anything else.

Arthur was, in his quiet, unassuming way, really a rather powerful wizard—excellent in Transfiguration and ruddy brilliant at Charms. When they were at school, he had spent more time inventing new charms than most people spent learning all the old ones. Molly knew that about him, but most people usually underestimated him. Especially Percy, Molly thought bitterly. Their middle son thought his father had no ambition.

And that, Molly knew was far from the case. It was true that Arthur, bless him, wasn't at all interested in having people under him to boss around, or in wielding power or authority over others, or even in making money for money's sake. But it wasn't fair to say that he had no ambition at all. Take keeping Muggles safe from wizards who might thoughtlessly harm them, or worse, intentionally abuse their power to be cruel. Arthur was decidedly ambitious about that. In fact, it was his passion. How about defeating Voldemort and his Death Eaters? (Molly could now say the name, but she still shuddered inwardly whenever she did.) You don't risk your life and almost die for a cause if you aren't truly committed to it. Molly still had to blink back tears when she thought about the attack that had nearly taken him from her.

And then there was his family. Keeping that lot fed, clothed, relatively happy, and, above all, loved was ambition enough for any man. And he had done it unfailingly and without complaint. It wasn't his salary's fault they had decided to have so many children!

If he had been the sort of man who cared about all those other things, they would have had more money, but then Arthur wouldn't have been the sort of man to play with the children, teach them, feed, bathe, and change them, spend time with them. Love them. Truth is, he wouldn't really have been the sort of man she would have married in the first place. No, it hadn't always been easy, but, in the long run, he had made all the right choices.

And so had she in choosing him. She put the parchment and quill on the bedside table and snuggled down into Arthur's arms, letting him surround her with his warmth and protection. He stirred and murmured sleepily, "Everything all right, love?"

Molly sighed with contentment. "Actually, Arthur, everything's perfect."


End file.
